


Lost Little Thing

by voidtap



Series: Make my messes matter! Make this chaos count! [1]
Category: Warframe
Genre: Body Horror, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, During Canon, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Speculative, Telepathy, a very animalistic attempt at it at least on lephantis's part, there's only one alad I tagged both for relevancy reasons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:47:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25381093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voidtap/pseuds/voidtap
Summary: Alad V throws himself into the monstrous embrace he cultivated. A piece about Alad V's introduction into the Infested hivemind.
Series: Make my messes matter! Make this chaos count! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1848832
Comments: 11
Kudos: 23





	Lost Little Thing

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to the people on tumblr who enable my love for the infested. I didn't plan on using my creative writing class knowledge like this.  
> This isn't beta read we die like syndicate operatives

_What a lost little thing…_

Alad V stumbled through the derelict, choking on the acrid air, still and thick and _so very alive_ \- like a tidepool of a lake. The rough, sharp voice punctured the cotton in Alad's mind like poking a bubble of dry ice, cool steam thoughts melting out from their delicate bindings.

"Hah- you- you lead me here… where are you…?"

The rough voice laughs alongside Alad, a rumble that shuddered through the engineer's whole body, the sunshine warmth of amusement melting into the world along with them. Alad felt his body stumble in directions he didn't memorise, but allowed himself to be guided, the puppet for the ventriloquist.

Alad didn't notice things getting darker, nor did he recognise that the room he entered made his mind run in entranced circles and his lungs flare alight with life. It took him a minute to even process the overwhelming presence with him.

The house-sized hydra, laying on its side and rumbling gently, lowered its heads to Alad's level, examining him.

**_Looks weak._ **

_When has that stopped us?_

_His knowledge will serve us well._

The heads spoke to each other, quiet among the words of the collective Alad learned to train his mind to comprehend. He had to lean on the entrance to the court they stayed in, gasping for a clean breath of air that he knew he wouldn't get. The sensory overload he was certain he'd get was starting to hit him, with the fog in his mind cleared.

_Quiet._

Everything went still, only the gentle thrum of footsteps echoed through the chasm. 

_Come to us._

It took a moment, but Alad pushed himself upright and quickly stumbled to the hydra, feeling himself lose balance and letting out a squeak before two tendrils raised to his arms. The hydra's crocodilian head lowers to Alad's drooped form, huffing loudly.

**_Has he died?_ **

_You're hopeless._

The haloed head merely watches as the crocodilian head gently nestles itself under Alad, lifting him slightly and bringing him the rest of the way. It lets Alad press against its resting body, feeling his quick breaths.

_What panics you?_

Alad tried to form words, but by how the hydra flinched after asking, responding by letting out a loud rumble and letting the bioluminescence die down, he assumed it could hear his thoughts.

_Adaptation will come with time, but we can accomodate, for now._

Alad just nods, hiding in the oddly soft side of the beast.

"You are… Lephantis… y-yes?"

_We are._

"You wanted… to see me… I apologise for being so- hah- overwhelmed."

_This is normal, we expected nothing more._

"Wonderful."

The two sat quietly for what felt like forever, Lephantis continuing to gently rumble after a few moments, a helpful addition to Alad trying to ground himself with as much new sensory information as he was getting. It took… an embarrassingly long amount of time.

_Are you well?_

"For- hhhah- the most part, I believe."

_We assume you won't be standing on your own._

"The prosthetics don't want to function."

_We understand. That'll be what you'll be working on._

"Wh- what?"

_We need something hardier, something more fit for this world. You can create that, create a new strain for us._

"Ah…"

Alad went quiet, kneading ever so slightly at Lephantis's side, thinking.

_We would provide you with the tools. You've already gotten so far, haven't you? Join us…_

The haloed head lowered to Alad, pressing against him gently, getting the engineer to melt to the touch and cling onto it. The voices returned, pleading with Alad, telling him how wonderful the collective was, how he would get used to the feeling. He didn't have to prove that he was useful, he was loved all the same. It was an intoxicating thought.

"I can… I can do that."

_Wonderful. We can't thank you enough. You've decided to stay?_

"Yes, but… I can't work, with bodies like you all."

_Again, we can make accommodations._

"Then… yes, I accept."

A few seconds passed before Alad felt something heavy and alive writhe within him, the sensation making his breath pick up and his eyes go wide, looking to Lephantis- or rather, the closest head to him- for an answer.

_Calm yourself, this will hurt much less if you do._

He felt what was inside him climb through his throat, wetly choking before letting his jaw go slack and let go of what was trying to get out. A large, hooked tendril shot out, and with it, the beginning of jagged spines and buds across Alad's body bloomed. The panic that filled him was visible, and effected Lephantis enough for it to act, sitting up slightly and curling protectively around the turning Pillar with soothing rumbles. The process took hours, the sickness gradually toying with Alad's body as it did with his internal structure. The engineer had passed out once or twice from spikes of pain, his cries and whimpers of agony muffled by the tendril blocking his throat. All he could do was lean into Lephantis powerlessly, feel its heads give any comfort they could, and let the process continue.

It was, quite literally, like a flower finally blooming. Alad could feel his skin and clothes blossom and harden into protective layers of chitin, or stab itself from inside to create harsh, jutting spines. He'd feel his nerves shudder from his body flaying itself to create gracefully writhing tendrils and choke at his body nearly ripping apart at the seams from the stress. It was easy to tell whether or not the magenta glow that melted from the growths came from his own body, near the end. The bioluminescence ran in the strain.

When it was done, it was hard to tell where Alad's newly twisted form started and where it ended. It left him nearly mangled, sprawled seemingly uncomfortably against Lephantis and the infestation-webbed tile.

_We hope it wasn't too much for you._

Alad whined, throat reopened and autonomy regained, trying to push himself up. The hydra hissed, pressing Alad back into itself.

_Regain control of your extremities._

Alad let out a noise that he wasn't familiar with, a low snarl of discomfort, before opening his eyes. He looked down at his legs, distorted and hardly recognisable- nearly digitigrade- with new growths coming from where his legs truly ended. He nearly cringed at how his prosthetics bent in submission to the mutation.

"I hope you didn't take my-" Alad stopped himself midway with a loud sigh, releasing tension.

_You said you still needed general autonomy, no?_

"I was worried you forgot what that implied."

_That's slightly offending._

"S-Sorry--"

Alad was cut off by a heavy wheeze, holding his side and taking in his left side almost hesitantly. At least he had something that could be called fingers, still, on his… hand?

_Wonderful…_

Lephantis let its heads nudge Alad gently, the engineer could even call it a _nuzzle,_ but the praise gave him more comfort than the gesture did

"Did you not know what you were doing?"

_Ascension is a gamble. It took quite a bit to get you, but we are glad you are satisfied._

The heads lifted, the claw faced one letting out a deep bellow, getting a distant guttural shriek in response.

"It's better than. What could've happened…" Alad hissed, trying to get himself on his feet once more.

_We understand._

Lephantis looked to the entrance of its court, the loud trots of something _big_ getting closer. Alad turned to the sound, fumbling on his new legs like a fawn, before Lephantis cooed in placation.

_He won't hurt you._

"Who?"

_He calls himself Jordas, he is the guardian, the protector. You know him as the one behind the Juggernauts._

As if on cue, a hulking beast of chitin and flesh sauntered through the entrance, lowering itself gently as an obvious display of submission.

"How… how much power do I have?"

_As much as me, as much as Jordas… as much as Phorid. Assert yourself._

Alad nodded, wobbling to the Juggernaut and putting his hands by its side for balance.

_Are you going to try walking right away?_

"Think so…"

_Guide him to his labs, Jordas. Protect him._

The Juggernaut let out a huff of understanding, slowly hulking itself back on its hooves at a pace Alad could adapt to. Then, after looking back at the new Pillar, the Juggernaut set pace to escort Alad out of the clearing.

_You'll do wonderful. You'll adapt._

Alad nodded with a tired, tranced smile, not sure Lephantis could tell what his sentiment was. The bellow that filled the room and his body with warmth was enough to tell him that it got the message.

Alad V doesn't return to the Board for a very long time.


End file.
